Can We Walk Here? Ruminations on Adelaide’s Urban and City Planning

Linking arms, Mum and I left the thrift store in search of the toilets. We traversed through a busy car park devoid of pedestrian paths or crossings and had no choice but to cut directly across a drive-through to Hungry Jacks. It felt dangerous. Since our anxious steps moved along the oily road during our shopping excursion (now weeks ago), I have been mulling over the inadequacies of Adelaide's city and urban planning. A lack of designated safe areas for pedestrians in a mixed-use shopping zone exposes us to risks and increases the likelihood of accidents caused by negligent design. Protecting pedestrians from traffic and giving priority to the disabled, young, and elderly should be of paramount importance. Our city's layout, with its sprawling suburbs (often defended by our policymakers) and reliance on cars, starkly contrasts other places I have lived in, such as Amsterdam, which has more inclusive and walkable urban environments. 

Historically, the evolution of suburban development in Adelaide post World War I has shown an emphasis on car-oriented planning and decisions. Being heavily in favour of car accessibility over pedestrian-friendly spaces has led to growing challenges for walkability, safety, and the quality of public spaces. And not to mention the ongoing housing developments that fail to address supporting public transport infrastructure. Over time, city and urban design that prioritises private vehicular infrastructure, overlooking pedestrian needs, will increasingly impact lives negatively.

Nowadays, discussions around Adelaide's inadequate urban and city planning often point to a fragmented approach and lack of visionary leadership. Our car-centric culture should raise concerns regarding traffic congestion and increasing carbon emissions. While walking and cycling can play their roles in reducing excessive traffic in the suburban context, neither act as a structural fix and it would be unreasonable to assume they are. The notion of public transport (which is increasingly turning green) being an extra choice for some of our journeys would improve our roads as suburbs will only increase and expand as we move into their more affordable fringes.

In a recent study, only 13% of the population in Adelaide live in neighbourhoods that meet the optimal threshold for connected streets to help achieve the physical activity target set by the World Health Organization to prevent non-communicable diseases, improve mental health, and enhance general well-being. Despite the rhetoric supporting health and sustainability in our city, Adelaide does not have policy requirements for minimum street connectivity, and policy targets for walking and cycling participation are insufficient. Overall, Adelaide has low walkability relative to other cities. Unfortunately, pedestrian safety remains a low priority in South Australia's road infrastructure projects, with little attention paid to creating safe, walkable communities.

While Adelaide can celebrate being one of the most liveable cities, the reality of its urban planning is not close to being good enough. We need to set our standards higher and move towards a more connected urban environment that has proven to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance local economies, and be suitable for living. We are heading into our second year of the South Australian Walking Strategy, which outlines a 10-year blueprint prioritising walkable neighbourhoods, towns, and cities. While it is a fluid strategy that emphasises building integrated walking, cycling, and public transport routes, enhancing public spaces, and promoting safe walking environments for all residents - it is not a plan. We already have plenty of ideas. We need concrete plans for the future with clear objectives that city planners and officials can use to enhance urban environments. We need pedestrian-friendly spaces integrated into our laws.

Imagine an interconnected urban and city plan that places pedestrian safety and accessibility first. What can we all do to get there sooner? I don’t know. I’m just here to vent. Perhaps we can support The Greens already advocating for improved infrastructure on our behalf. Their initiatives include developing a pedestrian plan to ameliorate the rising issue of walkability in Adelaide. In South Australia, councils play a crucial role in ensuring pedestrian safety. Shall we all contact the 68 councils in SA to encourage them to review pedestrian signal phasing at intersections and create universally accessible walking facilities and environments that are conducive to walking and safe for people of all ages and abilities? It should seem obvious to everyone that we need pedestrian crossings, especially near the stores facing a bazillion drive-through fast-food restaurant chains scattered among Adelaide’s suburbs.

By implementing the above and shifting the focus beyond pedestrian-friendly planning strategies to actionable plans, Adelaide has opportunities to enhance itself. Focusing on inclusive, sustainable, and vibrant urban environments, let’s incorporate the pedestrian’s needs and preferences into our planning designs, especially our disabled and aging population, such as my mum, so we are not forced to dash haphazardly in front of cars.